Is Upwork guilty of Discrimination?

Even though it doesn't affect me, I can't help but have empathy for those that does.

Does it bother anyone that upwork makes it some jobs can only be applied to if you alive in America?

So, if you live in Canada; are they stating that you're incapable of doing certain jobs?

Or is it an undercover way to try to skirt around the middle-east stigma?

Nope:

• International law enforcement and military operations hiring for undercover work can require that applicants be of particular nationalities to fit in with local demographics.
• People who require service animals may be declined from employment in places such as kitchens and surgical operating rooms due to health and sanitation concerns.
• Construction firms and physically strenuous jobs can require that employees be able to meet certain requirements for physical strength, which can and does result in disproportionate numbers of disabled people and women being declined for employment in favor of non-disabled men.
• Hooters is legally allowed to only hire women who fit their body-type guidelines since their waitresses are technically classified as entertainers.

When there are valid reason for employment decisions to be influenced by race, gender, sexuality, ability, and/or the status of whether applicants are/are not of other protected classes, those factors can be taken into account during hiring.

Anti-discrimination laws only apply where it is logistically feasible and reasonable for them to be applied. And there are certainly situations where there are legitimate logistical/practical reasons why hiring may be restricted to particular regions.

Also, it should be noted that Upwork's country filtering feature allows you to state that applicants must be in certain countries. It does not allow you to say that applicants cannot be in certain countries.

But, on an unrelated note, Upwork is guilty of having way too many subcategories for job postings (Upwork pls let me fix your user interface).

Also, everyone on Upwork is using a US based proxy going under the name John Johnson, anyway, so the whole thing is pointless...